The Responsible Jewelry Council (RJC) today announced that the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has joined the Council’s membership.



RJC includes more than 100 members, representing all sectors of the diamond and gold supply chain, trade associations and service providers.



RJC members must apply the RJC System by upholding the RJC Code of Practices and undergoing third-party auditing to become certified. The system builds on recognized international initiatives like the Kimberley Process and ISO standards, such as SA8000 and ISO 14001, the Council said.



“GIA has established the international benchmark for diamond grading laboratories and there is a fundamental logic for our organizations to leverage the strength of our standards and global approaches. We can now offer GIA the opportunity to certify its business practices against the RJC System,” RJC said.